Wellington, FL – December 28, 2014 – Equestrian Sport Productions is pleased to announce that they will host the 2014 World University Equestrian Federation (Association Internationales des Etudiant Cavalieres, AIEC) Student Rider Nations Cup Final at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on December 30 – January 1.

This unique riding competition brings students from 12 nations around the world to compete in a format that combines the disciplines of dressage and show jumping. This is the first time that an AIEC event has been hosted in the United States in more than 10 years.

The horses for all the SRNC events are provided by the host country, usually loaned to the event by generous owners who support the program and enjoy sharing their horses with our promising young talent. In each round of competition, three riders are randomly assigned to compete against each other on the same horse. The best horse is never determined the winner of a class, the best rider performance on each individual horse is selected to continue to the next round. In each successive round, the level of expertise asked of the rider increases, and a new horse is provided to ride. No rider may sit on the same horse twice in the same discipline. Prior to a dressage test the riders are allowed only five minutes to warm up. Prior to a round of show jumping, riders are allowed two minutes to flat, then one single vertical and one single oxer. The limited time for getting to know each horse is no small feat, especially when riders in the final round may be asked to perform a Prix St. Georges dressage test or complete a 1.30m speed class.

The design most fairly eliminates the “luck of the draw” allowing the best riders, not the best horses, to come out on top. But it is not all about the riding; most of the competitors come away from these events with friends and relationships that last lifetimes, professionally and personally. “The best part about these competitions for me is the unity amongst all of the riders. It is something special to have so many different cultures and people come together and form friendships through their passion for equestrian sports,” said Lauren Franco (USA) about SRNC Germany 2014.

AIEC was founded in 1984, with its core vision being to promote advanced athletic competition among student riders and to encourage the development of relationships and respect between international competitors. AIEC has provided a means in which talented young riders with limited resources can represent their nations in prestigious riding competitions and build global networks for their future professional careers. As a non-profit organization, all of this is done at a minimum expense to the rider and intended to reward passionate individuals with true horsemanship skills and solid work ethics.

Competitors in the SRNC Final are all still enrolled full-time (at least 12 hours) in a University or Graduate school and therefore have a limited amount of time and resources to devote to international competition. In 1984, AIEC developed a series of competitions where student riders can come together in teams to represent their nations in advanced competition without having to organize complex and expensive horse travel.